Locking valve.



H. E. KUHNER, DECD.

E.. LA. KUHNEB, EXBOUTRIX.

LOOKING VALVE.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 23, 1914.

Patented Mar.9,1915.

5mm/nto@ @9i/bueno@ HERMAN E. KUHNEB,

OF'OXFORD, MARYLAND; ROSE L. KUHNER EXECUTRIX 0F SAID HERMAN E. KUHNER, DECEASED.

s LOCKING VALVE.

T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HERMAN E. KUHNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oxford, in the county of Talbot and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Locklng Valves; and 1 do hereby declare the following to .be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe mvention, such as will enable others skilled 1n the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to valves used on motor cars to regulate the supply of gasolene to the engine; and it consists of a selflocking device for closing the valve at will and preventing it from being re-opened without the use of a special key. This device is intended to be used when a motor car is desired to be put out of action. For instance, when a driver leaves the car by itself he can close the valve instantaneously, and the car cannot be operated by anyone vwhornight attempt to steal it, and who was not provided with the necessary key.

'In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section, of a plug valve provided with a locking device according .to this 1nvention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

The gasolene inlet pipe 2 is provided with an inlet valve 3, and this valve is preferably a plug valve of any approved construction.

A frame l is secured to the pipe and valve in any, convenient way, and it is preferably 4secured to the valve. One tubular end portion of the valve casing` has a collar 5 which abuts against a lug 6 on the frame, and the other tubular end portion is elongated and is secured' to the frame by a clamping plate 7 and screws 8. The screws 8 are placed in a position where theyare not readily accessible after the complete device has been put together, to prevent the clamp from being removed in order to open the valve. The

plug of the valve has a toothed .segment 10 formed on or secured to it, and 12 is a toothed rack which gears into the said segment. The segment 10 has a guard-plate 14 on one side which overlaps the teeth of the rack and prevents the teeth of the segment from being slid out of gear with the rack teeth. The toothed rack is formed on one side' of a push-bar 15, which is Ufshaped or channel-shaped incross-section. The bar 15 is slidable vertically in a guide 16 on the Aframmenti it is provided with a foot-plate Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

.Application filed January 23, 1914. Serial No. 813,968.

17 at its top above the level of the top of the frame. A lug or abutment 18 projects laterally from the frame into the channel of the bar, and a helical spring 19 is arranged between the lug 18 and the foot-plate 17. This spring normally holds the push-bar in its raised position with the 'valve open, so that the gasolene can be supplied to the engine of the motor car.

A beveled tooth 2O projects from one side of the bar 15, and 21 is a spring-actuated catch or bolt which is slidable in a socket 22 on the frame. .This catch or bolt 21 is normally arranged below the -level of4 the locking-tooth, and-.when the foot-plate is depressed to close the valve, the locking-tooth slides past the Vlocking-bolt so that the return of the 'push-bar is prevented, and the valve is locked lin its closed position. A suitable key-hole 24C is formed in the socket 22,

and a specially constructed key is provided for'retracting the locking-bolt or for permittingit to be retracted. Any approved key-v device may be utilized for this purpose. The top of the frame is preferably arranged on the iioor line of the motor car.

.Soi

The gasolene valve can be closedsuddenly said parts and provided witha vertical guide'and a horizontal socket, a push-bar slidable in the guide and having a foot-plate at its top and a laterally projecting tooth, a spring which normally holds the foot-plate raised and the valve open, intermediate operating mechanism between the push-bar and the valve, and an automatic catchslidable in the said socket and engaging with the,

said tooth and holding the valve closed when` the foot-plate is depressed.

2. The combination, with a frame provided with a guide and a lug arranged at oppositeends of said frame, of a valve provided with a casing having horizontaltubula-r end portions one of whicirengages with the said lug, a clamp which'secures the other end portion to the frame, a push-bar having a foot-plate at its top and slidable -iio l vezcay in he said guide, imizarmfedmpe operating mechanism conneatngfhe push nar with me vave., a spring which slides @the push-bar in ons drecon normally mds th@ nave open, and' a cach which ew gages; auzmaimly Wih the push-T0211 when it :is in the mvwm vecton io' dos@ the valve,

3. The'cnmbnaon, with' a imam@ pf@ vided Wh a guida and an abutment, a valve secured to the frame, a bellow pushbar slidable in the guide and having a footpaa ai; one einda a spring arranged in tha upie ai $31154 gaa-teni; may he: obtained for five cents each, by addessing the Mmmm@ clqse thee valve. i

in testimony whe'ecaf have'axed my sgnrmu'ey in the presence of two Wineases.,

HERMAN E. KUHNER. Witnesses:

R. Laws, J. H. LEWIS.

f Commissione? en latema,

Washingtma. G.

forcibly against the pressure of the 'said spuug $0V 

